The major function of absorbent articles such as disposable diapers is to absorb and contain body exudates. Such articles are thus intended to prevent body exudates from soiling, wetting, or otherwise contaminating clothing or other articles, such as bedding, that come in contact with the wearer. The most common mode of failure for such products occurs when body exudates leak out of the gaps between the article and the wearer's leg or waist to adjacent clothing because they are not immediately absorbed within the article and the absorbent article is not able to sustain a good fit on the wearer such that gaps are created allowing the exudates to leak out of the absorbent article. For example, urine tends to be deposited onto the topsheet more rapidly than it can be absorbed and, therefore, the urine migrates to the gaps in the absorbent article where it can come in contact with clothing or other articles and can be absorbed by these articles. Additionally, loose fecal material that is not easily absorbed by the absorbent article tends to "float" on the liquid-receiving surface and work its way past the gaps in the article in the legs or waist of the wearer.
Contemporary disposable diapers have a topsheet, a backsheet, an absorbent core, and elasticized leg flaps generally formed from an elastic member being enclosed in the continuous topsheet and backsheet which extend beyond the edges of the absorbent core. These elasticized leg flaps prove effective generally to prevent wicking and overflow from the fluid laden diaper to clothing contacting the edges of the diaper in that the elasticized leg flaps present a fluid impervious barrier between the edge of the diaper and the contacting clothing, and in addition, provide a gasketing action about the legs of the wearer to maintain a seal about the leg and minimize gapping. However, leakage along the perimeter of the diaper may still occur. As the diaper is worn for longer periods of time, forces tend to act on the diaper to degrade the initial fit on the wearer. Large gaps and sagging of the diaper in the legs and waist are formed by the degradation in fit. Thus, as liquids are deposited onto the topshet, some of the liquid is not immediately absorbed through the topsheet and migrates toward the edges of the diaper where it can leak through or past the gaps in the diaper and come in contact with clothing or undergarments where it can be absorbed by and wicked into such garments.
Disposable diapers may be provided with barrier cuffs which inhibit loose fecal material or gushes of urine or liquids from soiling the wearer's clothing. The barrier cuffs restrain the free flow of this material and provide a structure to hold such material within the diaper so that as such material freely floats or flows on the topsheet of the diaper, it is contained within the ciaper. Despite the effectiveness of such structures in containing such material, it has been found that liquids can leak beyond the barrier cuffs and soil the wearer's clothing because the diaper construction does not promote a sustained fit of the diaper on the wearer. Additionally, the barrier cuffs may not be properly applied to the wearer such that good initial fit is not achieved and the sustained fit is often worse.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a diaper with adhesive sealing means for securing the diaper directly to a user's skin to eliminate separation of the absorbent article from the user's body during wear.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a diaper having a continuous layer of adhesive which extends about the diaper's periphery sealing the periphery from leaking.
It is further an object of the present invention to provide an adhesive that is skin-friendly and non-irritating.
These and other objects of the present invention will be more readily apparent when considered in reference to the following description and when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.